Search

    Kaiserschmarren

    The chopped pancakes are a long-term favourite in Austria.

    While the Austro-Hungarian monarchy may have united any number of peoples under its emblem of the two eagles, when it came to his choice of meals Emperor Franz Joseph proved very loyal to his native country and region. Alongside cooked beef, he loved simple pastry dishes made from eggs, flour, milk, and a little sugar, such as the light and creamy Kaiserschmarren (literally: Emperor's pancakes). Rumour has it that the sweet treat originates from an omelette shredded by mistake. Whether or not that story is true, the important thing is that the recipe has been passed down to us.

    How to make it:

    Step 1:

    Place the raisins in a bowl, mix with the rum, and leave to stand for approx. 15 minutes. Separate the eggs and place the yolks in a mixing bowl. Add the milk and flour and flavour with some grated lemon rind and vanilla sugar. Mix to form a smooth dough.

    Step 2:

    Beat the egg whites with the crystal sugar and a small pinch of salt until it forms a firm peak, and fold into the dough mix. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C / 356°F.

    Step 3:

    Let the butter melt and bubble up in one large, or two small (coated) heatproof frying pan(s). Pour in the mixture and after 1–2 minutes, scatter the soaked raisins over the top. Cook the underside until light brown, turn over using a spatula and bake for 6–8 minutes in the pre-heated oven until golden brown. You can also cook it on the stovetop instead.

    Step 4:

    Tear the ‘Schmarren’ into small pieces, using two forks. Scatter the butter shavings over the top, sprinkle with some granulated sugar, and caramelise under the grill at a high heat.

    Remove from the grill and arrange on pre-heated plates. Dust with icing sugar and cinnamon. Serve with a plum or berry ragout, or fruit compote. The Kaiserschmarren can also be cooked at the top of the oven and caramelised at the end with a lid to cover.

    Cooking time: 8–10 minutes

    Always Tempting: The Kaiserschmarren

    Kaiserschmarren tastes best on the patio of a traditional hut with views over the mountains. Fluffy and well browned, the dessert is served with plum roaster or apple sauce. #realAustria

    What does it feel like to eat Kaiserschmarren at a mountain hut?

    Austria's alpine pastures are as diverse as their hosts are imaginative. Their common goal is to bring people closer to nature as a habitat and to its valuable products.

    Sharing a Kaiserschmarren with friends and family at a hut is the perfect way to end a day in the mountains. The sight of this delicious dessert alone can be mouthwatering. A hut, a wooden table and a Kaiserschmarren are simply part of Austrian cosiness.

    Almgasthaus Boscheben in Ellbögen, south side of the Patscherkofel mountain / Almgasthaus Boscheben

    Kaiserschmarren on Mountain Huts

    media_content.tooltip.skipped

    Dining in Alpine Huts on Alpine Pastures

    If you'd like to sample regional specialities in a rustic atmosphere high up in the mountains, you will find plenty of places in Austria. In alpine huts, the owners mostly use products from their own and nearby local farms. In addition to sweet Kaiserschmarren, the menu includes hearty dishes such as Tirolean Gröstl (fried potatoes with onions, beef and a fried egg on top) and Käsespätzle (cheese spaetzle), often richly seasoned with home-produced alpine cheese.

    Mountain huts are also popular for their "Brettljausen". The wooden board is adorned with home-made sausages, liver sausage, bacon, cheese and farmer's butter. Not all bacon is the same and not all cheese is the same - each province is proud of its own specialities.

    These Huts smell of Kaiserschmarren

    •                         Bürglalm at the Hochkönig
      media_content.tooltip.skipped

      Bürglalm in SalzburgerLand

      At the Bürglalm, Kaiserschmarren is served in the "Golden Carriage". According to legend, mountain spirits brought gold out of the tunnel near the alpine pasture.
      Welcome to the Mountain Hut
    •                         Lammersdorfer Hütte / Millstatt
      media_content.tooltip.skipped

      Lammersdorfer Hut in Carinthia

      The Lammersdorfer Hut is situated high above Lake Millstätter See and has its own Alpine dairy. Innkeeper Kurt prepares the Kaiserschmarren on a wooden cooker.
      Welcome to the Mountain Hut
    •                         Genuss Gasthaus Kohlröserlhütte
      media_content.tooltip.skipped

      Kohlröserl Hut at Lake Ödensee in Styria

      The Kohlröserl Hut is located on the shores of Lake Ödensee. In the midst of nature, guests are treated to Kaiserschmarren and modern inn cuisine.
      Culinary Delights at the Lake

    Addresses for the Mountain Huts

    Confectionery Demel / Café Demel
    media_content.tooltip.skipped

    We are Kaiserschmarren

    The Viennese and visitors to the city equally flock to the K. u. K. (imperial and royal) Hofzuckerbäckerei Demel in the city centre. And there's a good reason for it: Right there in the shop window, confectioners prepare Kaiserschmarren. Watching the chefs pour the fluffy batter into the pans, sprinkle it with sultanas soaked in rum and let it brown, cut the omelette into pieces, turn it over and finally caramelise it with granulated sugar is something special. At Demel, the Kaiserschmarren with plum roast is available "to go" (for take-away) in a paper cone or served on a porcelain plate in the noble ambience of the coffee house.

    The competition in Austria's Alps never sleeps. In the land of desserts, Tiroleans in the Stubaital have baked the world's largest Kaiserschmarren: 155 kilograms from 1,070 eggs in a pan four metres in diameter. In fact, Kaiserschmarren is so popular in Austria that it can be found on almost every menu in the country.

    Culinary delights - Kaiserschmarren
    media_content.tooltip.skipped

    A Kaiserschmarren for the Empress

    The word "Kaiser" means "emperor" in German, the word "Schmarren" is used for a dish of chopped or shredded baked goods.

    There are many stories as to how the name came about. One of them takes place in Bad Ischl, where Emperor Franz Joseph I and the imperial family spent their summer holidays. The chef created something fluffy for Empress Elisabeth. As he knew that "Sisi" had problems with her teeth, he decided to go for a "Schmarren". He refined the "Kaiserschmarren" from Upper Austria - a simple dish made of flour, milk and eggs - with sultanas and served it as a dessert. The Emperor did not understand the name very well and claimed that the chef had named the new pastry "Kaiserschmarren" in his honour.

    Whatever the story behind Kaiserschmarren, the main thing is that the recipe has been passed on. In the 19th century, Austrian cooks chose the name "Kaiser" for dishes when they wanted to distinguish dishes of special quality.

    media_content.tooltip.skipped